A year of photoblogging

Winter photography from my home town. More winter photos from this year: 1. 2. 3. 

I started blogging last December, without being exactly sure about what my blog should include. I was sure about one thing: I wanted to share my progress in photography and painting with people "out there". It turned out to be a lot harder then I imagined, since I didn't have a clue about where to find people who would be interested in seeing my photos or reading what I had to say.

Spring photography from Bergen: 1. 2. 3. 4. 

Spring in Bergen is not an easy environment for finding beautiful motives. It's mostly rainy, cloudy and dark. Through the year I've had a Panasonic LX-3 camera with me everywhere. It's such a light and easy camera, but with the same manual flexibility of a DSRL. I started doing analog photography, and using my old Canon EOS3000. In late spring I acquired a Panasonic Lumix GF-2, plus two lenses.

More photos from Marbella, Alhambra, Valencia: 1. 2 and Rome: 1. 2. 

Traveling to Marbella, Alhambra, Valencia and Rome this year, gave me a lot of photographic opportunities, and the itch for travelling. During the summer I also got an obsession about my Mom's garden and I took tons of photos there. In the meantime my blog shifted toward becoming more of a memoir. I really felt that I had a lot more to say than only what my photos said. I was lucky to find some great blogging communities, and to meet you guys and become inspired by all your great creative work! My creative progress wouldn't have been the same without so much kind support from each and everyone of you.

I got my analog shots developed in October, and although I was a little disappointed with the quality of the  Lomography films, some of the shots turned out to be beautiful. You will definitely see more analog photos on this blog next year.

I have so many photographic adventures to look forward to for the new year. I will definitely travel more, I will do this course , and I've won an auction on a vintage camera. I'm not sure what to start with, but I think doing the course would be a good idea. Portrait photography is definitely a challenge for me, so this will be my priority for the new year as well.

Have you got any creative plans for the new year? Any new projects or hobbies that you want to start doing?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Finally I can spend time with my family, take long walks, watch costume dramas and eat honey bread cake. It's so good to be finally able to relax.

Have a peaceful and merry Christmas! Take this time to be with your closest ones and to gain some strength for the new year. It has been a joy to follow each and everyone of you this year, and I know you both need and deserve the peace and joy of these next days.

See you in the new year!

Cold Mountains

I can tell you that although I have goosebumps all over my face, it is actually not that cold. My friend came for a visit to my home town on Sunday. We are doing long walks every day now to fix our guilty conscience for eating marzipan all day and falling asleep in front of the fireplace.

Just recently, I've started to appreciate photos of myself. I've been telling myself that I'm not photogenic enough to be photographed, but at the same time regretting that I don't have any photos to look at when I'm old some day. So here I am - makeup-less on a rather good hair day. This is the first real photo of me on this blog.

A good ol' Christmas Mixtape

I'm finished with exams and back in my home town, in my Mama's house. It smells juniper berry, ginger bread and other delicious baked goods. S is coming home for the holidays soon, and one of my closest friends from college is coming to town tomorrow for a visit. There is so much to look forward to!

I'm sorry that I haven't found the time to read your guys' posts. I've been so busy with baking, shopping and making gift tags, but I also made you all ♫ a little collection of my favorite Christmas tunes ♫. We've had Dolly Parton and Kenny Roger's  "The Christmas Songbook" playing in the background for each Christmas since the beginning of the nineties. Although I wouldn't call myself a country fan, some of the songs bring back the true feeling of Christmas for me. 

What have you been up to this week? How are you preparing for the holidays? Any crafting going on?

  

Tender White Snow

This little town of ours turned into Winter Wonderland over night. A friend of mine does research for her master thesis in Northeast Africa. She has requested snow for over a month. Well, Ingvild: I hope can give you a taste of what it will be like to come home!

There is always something special with the first snow, and the silence that comes with it. It seems as though the world falls into this sudden lethargy. I feel quite peaceful at mind too, although I should be focused on my last exam. Just another five days and I will dive into housecleaning,  cake-baking and lots of other fun holiday activities!

Anyone out there waiting impatiently for snow?

My Creative Space: Klimt and I

I have this friend which also happens to be a musician. She told me that she practiced the guitar for years, but she didn't really learn it until she learned the most difficult song she knew: "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell.

I feel the same about my Klimt inspired self-portrait. It is still work in progress, but it's a painting where I've proven to myself that anything is possible, even without tutoring. After so many months with painting in self-doubt, I feel truly relieved.

Even though the face is a little more round and pale, it clearly resembles me. It feels incredible to have actually painted a realistic painting. But on the other hand it's not. After all, I've worked with this consistently, and when other painters progress, why shouldn't I?

Where is Winter Wonderland?

Snowy Scenery

 1) S cabin from the outside. 2) S making dinner in the kitchen. 3) Morning view. 4) Norwegian cabin trip essentials.   

When S and I did this cabin trip some years ago, it struck me how much hard work it actually was to live in one of these. With no water or electricity installed, we had to constantly go for water in the well and heat it. The cooking on a wood-burning stove wasn't easy either. Neither was doing the dishes. 

It used to be so much fun to spend time at my friends' cabin when I was younger. Although I'm not particularly fond of cross country skiing, the warm atmosphere of the cabins and the spellbinding scenery outside made the mandatory skiing worthwhile.

I might regret saying this in February, but right now I'm longing after snow...

It's beginning to look a lot like...

I'm happy that we don't decorate already in the beginning of December, but I love to see this beautiful star hanging there in the window when I'm home at my Mom's. It's the one thing that reminds me of the good days to come when I'm finished with my last exam: the joy of spending more time with friends and family, and more time to do the things I love to do.